By the time the New England Patriots take the field this Sunday in Week 8, it will be November 1st. With the regular season wrapping up in early January and 17 games to play on a full schedule (18 with the bye week), we're entering the halfway point of the regular season around now.

The Patriots have had a roller coaster of ups and downs that got them to 4-3. A dismal September where they looked far from a playoff contender. Then a Week 4 road stunner against the Buffalo Bills showed there may be hope as the season progresses.

Drake Maye has reversed his early-season doldrums that had many analysts calling for his job, and despite coming off a Thursday night loss last week, the Patriots still seem poised for a midseason surge. We hope at least.

Let's look at who and what have surprised us so far this season in Foxborough.

As mentioned in this week's Monday Morning Game Notes, the Patriots rookie class has been a major positive takeaway eight weeks into the regular season. Rookie edge rusher Gabe Jacas has proven you can put a Pro Bowl offensive lineman on him, and he still finds a way to get the QB's face. Jacas has 11 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in seven games.

First-rounder Caleb Lomu has had his work cut out for him with all the offensive line injuries this year. He's played 159 total snaps (81 pass block, 78 run block; 83 at RT, 47 at LT, 27 at TE) and allowed only three pressures on Drake Maye. Lomu, in his rookie year, has been quite the insurance policy before he becomes a full-blown starter.

Lastly, tight end Eli Raridon has two touchdowns to his name. He is 12-for-16 for 168 yards with a 75% catch rate. Raridon has thrived in the Patriots' two-tight-end set, and even former Pats backup QB Brian Hoyer has compared him to Rob Gronkowski.

After such a predominantly healthy year last year, the Patriots' injury list seems astronomical. According to ESPN, the Patriots currently have a list of 17 players ranging from the injured reserve list to the PUP list, plus questionable tags week to week.

The biggest issue is the team's offensive line. Five offensive linemen, including Alijah Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown, Marcus Bryant, Greg Van Roten, and Mike Onwenu, are on the list. This has forced the Patriots to pull guys off the street onto the practice squad and active roster.

Luckily, the depth at the offensive line has answered the call quite well and has been a big aid in the offense turning the corner in the last month. A move that slightly contradicts Mike Vrabel's comments this past preseason about the team's depth.

Patriots fans may have seen this coming. Across the league, many were skeptical that second-year left tackle Will Campbell would bounce back after a bad postseason and eat his draft-night words about being "willing to fight and die" to protect Drake Maye.

Campbell came off an MCL sprain last season and still played highly competitive football in the playoffs. For a rookie, that was a recipe for disaster.

After an offseason working with legends like Lane Johnson and a phenomenal training camp, Campbell is now a top-20 left tackle. The second-year LSU graduate has a PFF grade of 72.8 (Ranked 17th out of 74 qualifying tackles), a pass-blocking grade of 76.0 (Ranked 18th out of 74 tackles), and a run-blocking grade of 68.2 (Ranked 24th out of 74 tackles).

There's a brotherhood among the New England Patriots' linebackers in Foxborough; ask head coach Mike Vrabel. Or even Jerod Mayo for that sense. Christian Elliss might not be the anchor of this defense; that title may go to inside linebacker Robert Spillane, but Elliss is definitely having fun governing the middle of the field.

The Patriots' pass rush may get the glory, but it's Elliss who has quietly been the glue of Zak Kuhr's defensive schemes. Elliss leads the entire team with 51 tackles.

While players like Spillane wear the captain badge, Elijah Ponder finds ways to sack quarterbacks, and Christian Gonzalez makes opposing WR1s a non-factor in games, Elliss clogs the middle of the field and keeps offenses from moving the chains.

All anyone wanted in Week 1 in Seattle was to see whether the Drake Maye and A.J. Brown QB/WR duo could rival Tom Brady and Randy Moss. In the last few weeks, it looks like Brady and Chad Ochocinco.

On Brown's defense, he suffered a grade-three high ankle sprain and was ruled out for 4-6 weeks in that game. In Week 6 against the New York Jets, he returned with 3 catches on 10 targets, with a few dropped passes that, quite frankly, he's paid to make.

In Week 7 against the Bears, he was 3-of-6 for 48 yards. He had one crucial catch that set up Rhamondre Stevenson's 48-yard touchdown run to end the first half. He did log a high snap share in that game. That makes you wonder if this is all part of Vrabell's method of madness. Get Brown comfortable out there again on a short week, and have him pop off by Week 8 against an inferior Miami Dolphins team. Time will tell if that is the case, but we're still waiting to see Maye and Brown's chemistry hit a stride, and that is quite a surprise this far into the season, injury or not.

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